New Member, Engine noises.

[97SLGTW]

Hello All,

Yesterday I bought a 97 gt wagon, and for the most part the car seems great for the money.

anyway before I take it for safety etc I want to fix a few issues. The main one on my mind is an engine/drivetrain problem, and I dont even really know how to describe it in text...

anyway the car starts great, drives straight and brakes straight. however I have a vibration that is directly tied to the RPMs. It is not noticeable at idle, so at first was only noticed when putting the engine under load. There is a noise that goes with the vibration. last night i did notice that when in neutral and revved above 2000 rpm, i get the same issue.

I can tell the vibration is more acute at the shifter.

Any ideas? if you need more info let me know and ill do what i can. the noise is not a knocking or ticking, but a less pinpoint noise almost like a vacuum, although I assume this is more noise/vibration than a vacuum could cause.

thanks in advance!

[auspex]

Very popular issue are the heatshields on your exhaust/headers rattling. It's annoying but easy to fix....take 'em off.

-mike

[97SLGTW]

Ok, Ill check into the heatshield right away, I have had that issue before on other vehicles.

This sounds to me though to be more than just a simple rattle, Here's to hoping I am wrong!

thanks

[Sarra]

Can you feel it through the car more than hear it?

Ninja edit ftw

[97SLGTW]

yeah its quite noticeable. you can definitely feel it,.

[Huffer]

If you can get a video clip up, the noise will help ID the problem... if the vibration is considerable, try general tune-up items with OEM parts - plugs & wires, oil filter, air filter.

Check the engine mounts for wear & tear too.

[Plays_with_Toys]

My crank pulley ate a hole through my timing cover because it rubbed on there for a while. Maybe?

Also, almost all subarus have shifter wiggle/vibration because of the boxer motor.

[97SLGTW]

ok so i dont have an audio clip, but after you mentioned the boxer motors have the vibration issue most of the time, i listened to a lot of the sound clips put up on the site, I am thinking maybe im just not used to the boxer sound/vibrations.

however, when i was running the car last night i popped the hood and noticed the crank pulley seems to wobble quite a bit. The belt isnt flying off or anything but its not running true thats for sure.

anyway, i ran the car pretty hard last night, and everything seems good.

thanks for the help

[Huffer]

however, when i was running the car last night i popped the hood and noticed the crank pulley seems to wobble quite a bit. The belt isnt flying off or anything but its not running true thats for sure.

I would tear that down ASAP.

The crank pulley should be sitting on the 'face' completely flush. If it's not, then you need to reseat it. I would clean it up with a damp rag first, run the car and see if it's spinning off center. sometimes visual marks are deceiving.

If it's not spinning right, take it off, and inspect it for damage. Make sure it's true and flat, and that the keyed hole isn't damaged. Check the belts too.

[SammyDaFish]

I wouldn't be concerned about the crank pulley wobble. If it were not seating right it would hit the belt cover. Pulley's that look like they wobble are quite common on most any make of engine.

If the engine is running right (tune up stuff like others have mentioned is all good), then you've probably got a bad engine mount. There is a little bit of harshness associated with the boxer engine. An ignition problem exaggerates this pretty greatly. Do a compression check too just to be safe. Something like a timing belt that's a tooth off could cause an engine to idle pretty well, but be low on power and run rough under a load.

[97SLGTW]

Ok, well I will definately be taking the pulley off, and ill do what i need to make sure its running true. Why not right?

Ill also take a look at my compression and ignition systems asap. As far as bad mount goes, How will i KNOW that its bad. I had a suspiscion that might be a problem, but the engine dosnt look to be shaking overly and i cant wiggle it by hand when its not running...

thanks!

[SammyDaFish]

jack the engine up and see if one of the mounts is separated. It's easier on a lift so you can get a good look and see if they are cracked.

btw, do you ever throw a missfire code?